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Sunday, December 5, 2010

[experi]Mental Baking Project part 1

Last weekend I went to the Patchwork Indie Arts & Crafts Festival to scope out the market and see if there would be a place for my little shop there next year. Whilst I was wandering and perusing the various and assorted wares, I noticed people gathering around this one particular tent, so naturally, I had to investigate! The booth had baked goodies, mostly shortbread, which was being handed out in the form of tiny little samples (and it was delish!) but the thing that drew me in was the sign that said, “bacon chocolate chip cookies $1”. What is this madness? Bacon now in a cookie? Well, I’ve seen bacon chocolate bars in the gourmet markets, but in a cookies…I was intrigued! I’ve been a vegetarian for over 20 years now, but I live amongst carnivores, so I decided to grab a couple of cookies for the dudes and see what they said about bacon and chocolate chips paired in a cookie.

The reviews weren’t bad but they weren’t glowing either. My son said he liked them but wanted me to make him some since my cookies are the best in the world. It’s true you know, they really are! The bigger dude said he only tasted a hint of smoky bacon-ish flavor but that the bacon was a strange consistency and there didn’t seem to be much in the cookie. So, being me,I decided that I could make them better.

The first step in making a better bacon chocolate chip cookie was choosing the right bacon. Again, since I don’t eat bacon, I have to go strictly with instinct. I scoped out the choices and settled on an all natural, nitrate free apple wood smoked bacon. It looked, well, like bacon, but I supposed it looked like nice bacon? Is that like a high class bowling alley? Anyway…the second step was cooking the bacon. Going with the comments on the cookies I purchased, I decided that baking the strips on a baking sheet lined with a piece of parchment paper would be the way to go, hopefully resulting in crispier bacon that didn’t simmer in it’s own fat whilst cooking. What I did to prepare my bacon before shoving it in the oven will forever remain a secret! *cut to maniacal laughter* Your cookies will never be as good as mine! Mwah ha ha ha haaaaaah! Oh,sorry, forgot I was with an audience.

Ok, so after that, all I did was whip up a batch of my divine dark chocolate chip cookie dough, scoop out 2 dozen meat free cookies for my daughter & I before adding the bacon, and then I filled the house with the sweet smoky smell of bacon chocolate chip cookies. I have to admit, if my body could digest meat, I would have eaten a handful of those cookies! I’m definitely going to add those to my holiday baked goods platters I deliver to my neighbors, friends, and family. Those who eat meat anyway.

Have any of you ever had bacon chocolate chip cookies? What did you think?